Pre-Interview Exercise 3

Section A) Passage Questions

Enter your answers on the response sheet provided

Passage One (2 questions)

The automobile has been a mixed blessing: the standard of living we take for granted would be impossible without it, yet the costs
are significant, ranging from traffic fatalities to questions of environmental sustainability. Moreover, dependence on fossil fuel
technologies has often played a destabilizing role in geopolitical affairs, with an inordinate amount of conflicts arising in regions in
which oil reserves are at stake. While the search for alternative energy sources remains a viable approach to such challenges, so too
are ongoing efforts of mechanical engineers to make gasoline automobile engines more efficient. Such efforts must all begin with an
understanding of what defines efficiency, and what affects it.

1. What does the author imply about dependence on fossil fuel technologies?
A. It has lowered the standard of living.
B. Its environmental risks have been minimized.
C. It has grown obsolete due to the use of alternative energy sources.
D. It has exacerbated violence and strife in lands that are rich in oil.
E. It has contributed to the stabilization of politically turbulent states.

2. The author mentions alternative energy sources in order to

A. demonstrate the inefficiency of fossil fuel use
B. outline possible solutions to fossil fuel drawbacks
C. evaluate the development of a new gasoline engine
D. highlight the difficulty of replacing fossil fuel technologies
E. praise the innovative efforts of mechanical engineers

Passage Two (2 questions)

Psychologists define terror management theory, or TMT, as psychological anxiety brought on by tension between our basic survival
instinct and the awareness of our own mortality, and its role in human endeavor. Regardless of one’s culture or worldview, one of
the few things all humans have in common beyond the basic biology of how we live is the knowledge that we cannot do so forever.
TMT holds that a good deal of what we do beyond the basics of survival—the sum of our cultural pursuits in other words—is
motivated by an attempt to avoid or at least ignore the reality of death. It would be a mistake, however, to surmise from this theory
that human life is devoid of meaning and that all of our endeavors are worthless. To the contrary, TMT holds that our attempts at
symbolic immortality are in fact good for us, in the purely temporal terms of physical mortality.

3. According to psychologists, what can be inferred about all humans?

A. Mortality is not a great concern to us.
B. The sum of our actions and pursuits is mostly in vain.
C. Our basic need for survival can trigger rash behavior and lead to conflict.
D. We generally tolerate varying worldviews.
E. We all experience TMT to some degree.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statements would be an adherent of TMT agree with?
A. Attempts at a fulfilling existence are ultimately futile.
B. The need to create meaning is innate in all human beings.
C. Humans are solely connected through a basic instinct for survival.
D. Symbolic immortality is possible but comes at great cost.
E. Accepting one’s mortality can lead to unexpected outcomes.

Passage Three (3 questions)

While meat is a staple food across many countries, one cannot ignore this simple fact: meat is a resource sinkhole, and one that is
unsustainable. Recent efforts have focused on replacing meat with synthetic alternatives. However, others have decided on a more
radical solution: simply replacing meat with fish using aquafarming. Aquafarming is immune to some of the problems connected to
raising livestock like poultry, pork, lamb, and beef. It does not place the same strains on available arable land and assuages ethical
 Pre-Interview Exercise 3
concerns about overcrowding and mistreatment. While it may be a stretch to call factory-farmed fish “happy,” the truth is ethical
concerns are a human construct, and humans simply care more about a baby calf’s well-being than a carp’s. For the most part,
moreover, fish are better able to adapt to closer quarters. Tilapia, for instance, simply die when they become stressed by
overcrowding, which resolves crowding issues faced by beef and poultry farmers naturally—tilapia farmers know that they are
reasonably content with their lot by the fact that they are not floating upside-down.

5. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT support replacing meat with fish?
A. Meat consumption contributes to unsustainable agricultural practices.
B. Fish in general have more nutritional value than meat.
C. Aquafarming does not have the same effects on arable land as raising livestock.
D. Overcrowding is not as serious of an issue with aquafarming.
E. Ethical objections to the treatment of farmed fish are less pronounced.

6. What does the passage imply about how humans regard animals?
A. They consider meat consumption as a great wrong against animals.
B. They believe that fish and livestock should be treated equally.
C. They have a stronger emotional connection with mammals than with fish.
D. They are growing increasingly concerned about the treatment of factory-farmed fish.
E. They are reluctant to acknowledge the effects of meat consumption on animals.

7. What can be inferred about tilapia farmers?

A. They work to maintain a stress-free environment for tilapia.
B. They experience the same overcrowding issues as livestock farmers.
C. They have a reputation for being indifferent to occupational hazards.
D. They often generate less income than livestock farmers.
E. They do not prioritize providing adequate space for their stock.

Passage Four (3 questions)

Paragraph One
The past century marks an unprecedented leap forward for peoples oppressed by issues of sovereignty, enfranchisement, and civil
rights. Problems may still persist, but these struggles have established an international consensus that prejudice is a social problem
that needs to be addressed. Although hate crimes, religious persecution, and other overt forms of intolerance remain an issue, in
many societies, publicly voicing such prejudice can abruptly end a career, and in others, it can land someone in jail. As such, people
who openly advocate discrimination are in a progressively shrinking minority. It is tempting, therefore, to declare a victory for the
fight against bigotry. Many social psychologists, however, would argue that this declaration would be imprudent. Many people who
consciously believe themselves free of prejudices are in fact predisposed towards bias against certain groups, without being aware of
it.
Paragraph Two
In spite of our best conscious efforts to behave otherwise, we harbor latent, or unconscious, prejudices. The problem with identifying
and quantifying latent bias is, of course, its unconscious nature—those who have latent attitudes often do not consciously and
explicitly endorse them. This presents a challenge for psychologists and others in the social sciences who wish to identify and
quantify latent bias. To do so, they must use indirect methods. One such method is implicit association tests, or IATs. Tests of explicit
bias rely on self-reporting, the results of which are prone to be skewed by social expectation bias—what people think they ought to
say. IATs side-step this issue by testing associations connected to what psychologists call implicit memory.

8. What can be inferred about those in the “progressively shrinking minority?”

A. They have learned to be more tolerant of other races and cultures.
B. Many of them have been unfairly labeled as bigots.
C. Their reduced numbers should be considered a major victory against prejudice.
D. Their presence has remained static despite anti-prejudice laws.
E. They have no qualms about facing legal repercussions for their actions.
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9. What does the passage imply about tests that are based on self-reporting?
A. They rely on implicit association.
B. They can quantify latent biases with some degree of accuracy.
C. They are susceptible to cultural norms.
D. They are effective at identifying varying forms of bias.
E. They are still extensively used despite the shortcomings.

10. How is the passage organized?

A. Prejudice is explained in generic terms and then given specific examples.
B. Actions taken against prejudice are critiqued and then alternative measures are proposed.
C. Different options for addressing prejudice are considered.
D. Contrasting views on prejudice are presented.
E. Latent bias is defined and then quantified.
 Pre-Interview Exercise 3

Section B: Teaching Role Play – Prepare a lesson to teach during your interview
Choose a topic from below. Prepare a lesson that engages the student in discussion. During the role play you will be the teacher
and your interviewer will be a 12 year old intermediate level student. Keep in mind that an intermediate level student has a
rapidly expanding vocabulary and exhibits growing confidence in his or her ability to comprehend and respond in English.

Instructions:

 Introduce the topic

 Engage the student using leading questions and interactive discussion. (note: although questions are provided as
guidance for the topic you may create and use your own questions)
 Demonstrate enthusiasm and energy while teaching
 Encourage the student to have a stance by the end of the lesson based on the discussion
 Remain in role until the interviewer indicates that the role play is over
 Your lesson should be 5 minutes long

Video Games
Video games allow gamers to escape from reality. Some people are worried that this is bad for both the gamers and society.
However, many gamers claim that playing these games can lead to positive outcomes.

1. Do you think playing video games to escape from reality is healthy?

2. How do people benefit from playing video games?
3. Why would parents not want their children playing video games?

Gene Therapy
Gene therapy was developed to cure diseases. Some people believe that it could also be used to improve athletics. However,
critics are not in favor of using genetic technology to create ‘super athletes’.

1. In what ways do you think technology could affect sports?

2. What do you think about technology that can help athletes with their performance? Do you think this is fair?
3. If gene therapy was allowed by officials, do you think it would be good or bad for sports?

Artificial Intelligence
The progress in artificial intelligence development has been impressive. Some people, however, believe it might go too far for our
own good. They foresee dangers in developing an artificial race of robots.

1. Have you ever seen a robot (on TV or in person)? What was it like? What did it do?
2. How might robots be useful?
3. What would the future be like if robots became more intelligent than humans?

False Idols
Celebrities are beautiful and talented. It’s no wonder millions of teenagers idolize them. Some people think that there is nothing
wrong with idolizing celebrities. However, critics think that some celebrities are simply false idols.

1. Who is your favorite celebrity? Why do you like him/her?

2. What would make a celebrity a bad role-model?
3. Would you like to live the life of a celebrity